# Cover Albums **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 2, 2014, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-albums/689799 "2014-06-02T00:01:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2014, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-albums/689799/21 "2014-06-03T01:49:19Z")
_[Joe Jackson’s Jumpin’ Jive](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Jackson's_Jumpin'_Jive)_ is a collection of covers of 1940s-era jump blues, and it kicks ass. _Western Standard Time_ by Asleep at the Wheel is a collection of… well… Western standards. Like pretty much any other AatW album, it’s excellent. _Lefty Frizzell Sings the Songs of Jimmie Rodgers_ is a tribute to one of the greats, by another one of the greats. _LaVern Baker Sings Bessie Smith_ is an absolute joy from beginning to end. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2014, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-albums/689799/22 "2014-06-03T02:00:01Z")
The Smithereens did some neat covers of _Meet The Beatles_ and _Tommy_. ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2014, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-albums/689799/23 "2014-06-03T02:45:43Z")
Lyle Lovett recorded a 2-CD album _[Step Inside This House](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Step_Inside_This_House)_, all covers. All songs by mostlly\* Texas songwriters he learned from (Townes van Zandt & Walter Hyatt) or who were playing the little clubs when he was. It was a good way to send some royalties to artists (or their survivors) who deserved them–but it’s mainly a great collection of tunes. - Walter Hyatt came from South Carolina with Uncle Walt’s Band; Lyle wrote a verse about them in “That’s Right, You’re Not from Texas.” Lefty Frizzell did an album of Jimmie Rodgers songs? So did Merle Haggard… ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2014, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-albums/689799/24 "2014-06-03T02:52:48Z")
> [@cjepson](#): > > _[Joe Jackson’s Jumpin’ Jive](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Jackson's_Jumpin'_Jive)_ is a collection of covers of 1940s-era jump blues, and it kicks ass. > > _Lefty Frizzell Sings the Songs of Jimmie Rodgers_ is a tribute to one of the greats, by another one of the greats. **Jumpin’ Jive** totally smokes - was a great album. I play that in the car and for my kids all the time. They here Is You Is or Is You Ain’t My Baby and go “hey, that’s from that old Tom and Jerry cartoon!!” and then I pull out my Louis Jordan CD. I actually played Lefty Frizzell’s main guitar - the one with the leather pickguard that had his name on it. I was so not worthy… ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2014, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-albums/689799/25 "2014-06-03T03:11:41Z")
All of the following albums have both ardent fans and major detractors: Bob Dylan’s \*\*\*Self Portrait \*\*\*album is mostly cover songs, including Gordon Lightfoot’s “Early Morning Rain” and Paul Simon’s “The Boxer.” John Lennon’s _ **Rock and Roll** _ consists of covers of his favorite oldies. \*\*\*Stairway to Heaven/Highway to Hell \*\*\*was a hard rock collection of covers of artists who died from drug or alcohol abuse. It had some very good numbers ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2014, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-albums/689799/26 "2014-06-03T04:12:11Z")
[Stay Awake: Various Interpretations of Music from Vintage Disney Films](Stay Awake: Various Interpretations of Music from Vintage Disney Films) is pretty awesome. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2014, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-albums/689799/27 "2014-06-03T19:06:03Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > \*\*\*Stairway to Heaven/Highway to Hell \*\*\*was a hard rock collection of covers of artists who died from drug or alcohol abuse. It had some very good numbers Great album. Personal favorites are Skid Row’s [Holidays In the Sun](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfnS6g3lFv8) and Bon Jovi’s cover of “The Boys Are Back In Town.” I’m not sure if this is considered a cover album, though. I’d classify it more as a tribute album. But I suppose it’s in the eye of the beholder. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2014, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-albums/689799/28 "2014-06-03T22:00:11Z")
Annie Lennox’s _[Medusa](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medusa_(Annie_Lennox_album))_ is well regarded. ---
**Author:** ![cococ173](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3ab097/32.png) [@cococ173](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cococ173)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2014, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-albums/689799/29 "2014-06-03T22:04:14Z")
Briefcase Full Of Blues- Blues Brothers–all covers of older blues tunes. Reached #1 Billboard Chart. ---
**Author:** ![ch51](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ch51/32/3111_2.png) [@ch51](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ch51)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2014, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-albums/689799/30 "2014-06-08T20:40:11Z")
Patti Smith - Twelve 12 covers - with (much) different arrangements from the originals. Some hate it - I don’t! ---
**Author:** ![Apocalypso](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Apocalypso](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apocalypso)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2014, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-albums/689799/31 "2014-06-09T14:46:51Z")
Was going to mention Nick Cave’s Murder Ballads but someone beat me to it. The other one I can think of off the top of my head is [Lana Lane](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lana_Lane), who seems to have a cover or two every album (I love her version of California Dreamin’), and did two full albums, _The Covers Collection_ and _Gemini_ which were entirely covers. There was also a couple of _Ballad Collection_ albums (eventually re-released as a double cd _The Ballad Collection Special Edition)_, but I am not 100% sure that every song on these is a cover. (I think the song Avalon was written for her keyboardist/husband’s solo band but she sang on the original so it’s up for debate whether it’s really a cover). So that’s potentially 4 cover albums from the same artist. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2014, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-albums/689799/32 "2014-06-09T16:16:25Z")
The Soundtrack of _All This And World War II_, which consisted of covers of Beatles songs. 1.“Magical Mystery Tour” – Ambrosia 2.“Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” – Elton John –Features John Lennon (under the pseudonym “Dr. Winston O’Boogie”) on lead guitar & backing vocals. 3.“Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight” – The Bee Gees 4.“I Am the Walrus” – Leo Sayer 5.“She’s Leaving Home” – Bryan Ferry 6.“Lovely Rita” – Roy Wood 7.“When I’m Sixty-Four” – Keith Moon 8.“Get Back” – Rod Stewart 9.“Let It Be” – Leo Sayer 10.“Yesterday” – David Essex 11.“With a Little Help from My Friends/Nowhere Man” Jeff Lynne 12.“Because” – Lynsey De Paul 13.“She Came In Through The Bathroom Window” – The Bee Gees 14.“Michelle” – Richard Cocciante 15.“We Can Work It Out” – The Four Seasons 16.“The Fool On The Hill” – Helen Reddy 17.“Maxwell’s Silver Hammer” – Frankie Laine 18.“Hey Jude” – The Brothers Johnson 19.“Polythene Pam” – Roy Wood 20.“Sun King” – The Bee Gees 21.“Getting Better” – Status Quo 22.“The Long and Winding Road” – Leo Sayer 23.“Help!” – Henry Gross 24.“Strawberry Fields Forever” – Peter Gabriel 25.“A Day in the Life” – Frankie Valli 26.“Come Together” – Tina Turner 27.“You Never Give Me Your Money” – Will Malone & Lou Reizner 28.“The End” – The London Symphony Orchestra ---
**Author:** ![Cognoscant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Cognoscant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cognoscant)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2014, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-albums/689799/33 "2014-06-10T00:58:07Z")
> [@Anamorphic](#): > > Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs did a series of cover albums that are pretty awesome: Under The Covers Vol. 1-3. Their cover of “Go All The Way” by The Raspberries is…wow. ---
**Author:** ![Critical1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Critical1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Critical1)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2014, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-albums/689799/34 "2014-06-10T01:07:27Z")
> [@Yookeroo](#): > > [Stay Awake: Various Interpretations of Music from Vintage Disney Films](Stay Awake: Various Interpretations of Music from Vintage Disney Films) is pretty awesome. oh Tom how I love thee. ---
**Author:** ![Ashley\_Pomeroy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c68b51/32.png) [@Ashley\_Pomeroy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ashley_Pomeroy)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2014, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-albums/689799/35 "2014-06-11T19:30:24Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > Laibach - _Let it Be_ based on the Beatles album. Some of the songs are covers in name only though. Laibach made a habit of this. _NATO_ is all-covers as well and was a lot more conventional than _Let it Be_ - the covers are recognisable and some of them are pretty good as regular, non-experimental music, although it still sounds like a martial band singing along with light techno covers of pop hits. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-albums/689799.md?page=1)